The Lone Lasso
by tiny.coco.chan
Summary: Wanted: The Lone Lasso. Reward: 100,000. When Hinata discovers the true identity of the most wanted bandit in the county, she can say goodbye to the life she once knew... *SasuHina*
1. Lariat

**Arigato to _shikashadow_, my foolish little brother, who let me use the idea for a western-themed fic! Check out his fics, please!**

**Um, yeah, I'm not going to take this story really seriously. It's going to be really short, around five chappies. Maybe.**

**I just thought it would be fun to imagine Sasuke wearing cowboy boots haha!**

**Please Read and Review! ^_^**

* * *

"You're a pretty lady," a guy hollered as he sat on the piano bench with me.

I ignored him and continued to play the piano in the dumpy saloon. After all, it was my job. Cowboys, wranglers, and shop owners—basically the entire male population of Konoha Town—practically lived in the saloon. Due to the alcohol, a fight occurred every night in this dump. They brawled, knocking over tables and stools in the process. Then it was also my job to clean up all of the blood, sweat, and vomit afterward. I had to admit that Neji, my older cousin, had it worse; he had to drag the drunk, limp bodies out onto the street every night.

Neji and I were forced to work in the saloon 24/7; it had been a family-owned business for the past three generations. I cursed the ancestor Hyuuga who built the saloon in the first place. While I conked out tunes on the rickety, old piano, Neji reluctantly passed out booze to the customers.

My father Hiashi never lifted a finger. He locked himself in his office all day doing who-knows-what. Since my sister Hanabi was too young to work, she spent the day playing dress-up and marbles.

"I like pretty ladies," the guy whispered in my ear and tugged at the sleeve of my pale, blue dress.

I could smell the alcohol in his breath. Disgusting.

However, all I could do was pound out the rest of the song. My fingers already ached from playing for numerous hours straight. My neck felt stiff like always, and my back ached. To make matters worse, the guy started touching my butt.

"Get your hands off her!" Neji barked as he shoved the guy off of me.

Stunned, I stopped playing and looked at the guy sprawled on the ground. He moaned and barfed on the floor. I fetched a rag from the back of the bartender counter and began wiping off the mess. Neji kicked the guy out of the saloon and then glared at me as I worked.

"Hinata, why did you allow him to touch you like that?" Neji demanded.

As I scrubbed the floor, I croaked, "I-I didn't know what to do. All I can do is play the piano."

My cousin sighed, "A lady like you shouldn't be working in an establishment like this."

I agreed with him on that! However, we both knew what happened last time when a Hyuuga quit working at the saloon. That night, my mother's body had been found in the river. The officials claimed that she had drowned, but we knew better.

"Don't worry, Neji. Once I inherit the saloon, I'm going to sell it," I smiled.

After a slight nod, Neji returned to the counter and accepted orders. I sat back down on the piano bench and started playing. The men flirted and whistled at me, and the only thing I could do was play the piano. If this wasn't torture, I didn't know what was.

An hour later, Naruto Uzumaki, burst through the saloon doors. My heart skipped a beat as I increased the tempo of the song. I rushed like crazy through the piece despite my mind's protest. After it ended, I sneaked a peak at Naruto, the town's hero. He looked so cute with his blonde hair sticking out from under his cowboy hat!

"This is the guy I'm going to capture next!" Naruto boasted. "The reward is $100,000!"

He ran around the saloon, eagerly showing everybody the wanted poster in his hands. When he came to a table near me, I blushed and began a new song. This time I added more soul into it, just in case Naruto was listening. He never did, but I hoped that one day he would.

A guy with spiky, silver hair and a bandanna tied around his mouth casually called out to Naruto, "You won't be able to capture that man."

I lowered my dynamics to mezzo piano so I could hear the conversation.

"Why not? This guy doesn't look tough at all!" Naruto exclaimed.

"That's the Lone Lasso. He's an expert with lariats," the man shrugged.

"That won't be enough to stop me! I can lasso things way better than he can!" my one true love declared.

I wholeheartedly agreed with him. My heart swooned as I swelled the piece into a big, beautiful fortissimo. I imagined Naruto capturing the Lone Lasso. He would collect the reward money, sweep me off of my feet, and take me away from this wretched saloon. We would elope in Iwa Town, have two kids, and grow old together.

"Chidori, his horse, is said to be the quickest in the county," the man warned.

Naruto scoffed, "Ha! He'd never beat my horse Rasengan!"

"I guess we'll just have to wait and see," the man said as he pulled out a book.

* * *

Finally, it was closing time, and Neji had just dragged out the last unconscious guy. There was a nasty stain next to the front door. It was taking me a while to scrub, so I told Neji to go home without me.

"Are you sure? I don't want to leave you alone. What if a man tries to take advantage of you like what happened today?" Neji asked, concern written all over his face.

"Oh, t-that was just a misunderstanding. I'll be fine by myself," I smiled. "You need rest; tomorrow is the rodeo."

Konoha Town's Annual Rodeo was the most famous rodeo in the Fire Country. In fact, it was the one day that my father Hiashi actually closed the saloon. The events were bull riding, calf roping, and barrel racing. Every year, I cheered Naruto on as he always won first place. Neji, who got to use the family's horse Byakugan, usually pulled a close second. I knew that a good girl would want her cousin to win the $500 prize, but I couldn't help but encourage Naruto. Anyway, second place earned $300, which pleased my cousin anyway.

"Well, don't take too long," my cousin warned as he left me in the saloon alone.

I nodded and scrubbed furiously at the stain on the floor. It was a familiar brown color, and I didn't want to know anything else about it. It wasn't the first time a drunk guy had crapped on the floor.

Suddenly, I found that a rope had cinched around my waist, trapping my arms. My face landed with a thud on the ground—thankfully not on the stain—and I let out a surprised squeak.

"If you scream, I'll kill you," a voice threatened.

I awkwardly sat up and saw piercing, ebony eyes glare at me. They belonged to a guy with equally dark hair that framed his face and stuck out in the back. He wore a slightly opened white shirt, jeans, brown boots, and a brown cowboy hat. I wanted to scream at the sight of this scary man, but he already had a gun pressed to my forehead.

"Y-you're the… L-lone Lasso," I whispered in fear.

Dangit, I knew I should've let Neji stay with me! Why was I stupid enough to think I could be independent? I couldn't even handle a drunk guy who touched my butt. Now I was at the clutches of the most wanted bandit in the county. Alone.

"Tell me where your money is," he growled.

"I-It's… um… it's in the c-cash register o-on the counter," I stuttered.

The Lone Lasso stuck his gun back into the holster on his belt. Holding onto the end of the lariat that had captured me, he dragged me over to the counter. To my relief and fear, the cash register was locked. The Lone Lasso couldn't rob the saloon, but now he would be mad at me. I squinted my eyes shut, ready to join my dead mother at the bottom of the river.

Instead he questioned, "Where's the key?"

"W-what?" I asked, dumbfounded.

"Where's the damn key?" he gritted his teeth.

"U-um, my cousin N-neji probably has it," I squeaked.

"Where is he?" the Lone Lasso asked as he reached for his pistol.

That's when I realized he was going to kill Neji – and me too— in order to get the key for the cash register. I didn't really mind if he took my life away; my life sucked. Every day, all I did was play the piano, practically get molested by drunk guys, and stress over unrequited love. However, I couldn't let him murder Neji. My cousin had a girlfriend named TenTen, and she'd be devastated if Neji died.

"N-no!" I shouted then immediately lowered my voice. "I mean, p-please don't kill him! I'll… I'll g-give you the key t-tomorrow night. I promise!"

"Fine," he grunted, "but if you're lying-"

"I'm n-not! Just please… don't hurt him," I pleaded.

After that, the Lone Lasso disappeared. Of course, I was still tied up, so I just sat in the saloon and went to sleep.

* * *

"Hinata!" a frantic voice said.

Something was shaking my shoulder, and I tried to shove it away, but my arms were pinned to my sides. Wait a minute…

"N-neji?" I mumbled as I woke up.

Neji frowned as he untied my bindings, "Hinata, what happened last night? When I realized that you never arrived home, I came here to find you-"

"I need the key," I interrupted.

"What key?" my cousin asked.

"The cash register's key," I elaborated. "I need it."

I didn't say anything else; I didn't want Neji knowing the details. If he found out I was attacked by the Lone Lasso, he would go berserk. He would probably challenge the Lone Lasso, and he might even end up losing. I didn't want to split up Neji and TenTen; I knew that it hurts to not be with the one you love (even if the one you love doesn't even know you exist).

"Why won't you tell me what happened?" Neji asked. "You weren't participating in inappropriate actions, were you?"

I blushed, "O-of course not! Don't worry about last night; I have everything under control."

My cousin sighed and finished untying me. I rubbed my bruised arms. My hair felt greasy, and my dress had stains all over it. Yesterday had been a nightmare, and I probably woke up looking like one. Today was the rodeo, and Naruto would be competing. I couldn't look like a tumbleweed in front of Naruto!

"Here's the key. Return it by tomorrow," Neji stated as he threw the object of interest at me.

For once, I caught it.

"Thanks, Neji!" I smiled as I ran out of the saloon. "I'll see you at the rodeo!"

My feet worked overtime as I ran toward my house. Of course, my carelessness cursed me; I fell _up _the stairs. I kicked off my black cowboy boots and cradled my poor shin. After crawling up to my room and hobbling toward my closet, I picked out a simple, purple dress. Normally, I hated wearing dresses since they were required for my job as an entertainer/maid at the saloon. However, I heard Naruto say that he likes it when a girl wears dresses.

I took the dress into the bathroom with me, took a shower, and put it on. The fogged up mirror showed a pale girl with freaky, pale eyes looking back at me. This would definitely not do. My lavendar eyes could never compare to Naruto's deep cerulean. Bursting out of the bathroom, I raided Neji's closet for one of his old cowboy hats. All of them were either smashed, full of holes, or covered in dirt. That's when I noticed an untouched, black one hiding in the shadows. With a triumphant grin, I placed the cowboy hat upon my head, which hid my eyes perfectly. After pulling on my black cowboy boots, I left my house.

I kept hobbling all the way over to the rodeo arena. The activities had already started, and I watched the current contestant who was bull riding. From the people around me, I gathered that he was new this year, his name was Sasuke Uchiha, and he was in the lead for bull riding. I watched the contestant's tight grip on the thrashing bull. A bandana was wrapped around his mouth to obscure his identity, but I recognized his eyes…

…the piercing, ebony eyes that belonged to the Lone Lasso.

* * *

**Sorry if the first chapter was boring/confusing/stupid. I promise that there will be more SasuHina action later! ^_^**

**Fun Cowboy Fact: A lariat is the rope that cowboys use to lasso animals. Moo!**

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	2. Wrangler

**I did research some of the stuff in this fic, but I can't guarantee the accuracy of it all.**

**Anyway, I now declare "cactus stings" the phrase of the week. **

**I'm going to start saying that around my friends to see if they'll try to beat me up...**

**Please Read and Review! ^_^**

* * *

I dreamed of making baked beans. All of the ingredients sizzled in the pot, and the delicious aroma engulfed the entire ranch. I added a secret sauce—a mixture of honey, sugar, and rum—and stirred the pot a couple of more times. After the beans simmered for a few more minutes, I put out the fire and decided to have a little taste test. To my dismay, my secret sauce contained salt instead of sugar.

"No!" I cried.

Naruto came up to me, wrapped his arm around my waist, and asked, "What's wrong, Hinata?"

"I m-messed up our dinner," I said miserably.

He dipped his finger into the pot of baked beans. I warned him that he might upset his stomach, but he didn't listen. After taking several bites of the ruined meal, I half expected him to barf; I even felt a bit queasy myself. Instead, he gave me a grin and tipped his cowboy hat.

"It's delicious!" he declared. "Believe it!"

"Thanks, Naruto," I smiled.

Naruto began shaking my shoulder. I tried to get him to stop, but he continued. That's when I realized it was just a dream.

Of course.

I groaned as I woke up to somebody shaking my shoulder. When I opened my eyes, I saw a concerned Neji. Confused, I propped myself up to sit, and I realized I was on my bed.

"You're finally awake," my cousin frowned. "Are you okay?"

"Neji… w-what happened?" I asked.

"You fainted at the rodeo," he stated.

Like a barrel of rattlesnake venom, it hit me; I had fainted when I saw Sasuke Uchiha, who was actually the Lone Lasso. I had no idea why he even participated in Konoha Town's rodeo. It was risky since Konoha Town belongs to one of the biggest and well-known counties in the area. Somebody could have figured out his true identity, somebody like me.

Though, what could I do? Being an entertainer/maid at a saloon wasn't the most respected job in town. In fact, people tried to avoid me, as if my bleak future full of wiping up vomit and being groped by random guys was contagious. Nobody in town ever listened to me, except for Neji. My cousin was the only person I could talk to, but I couldn't drag him into my dilemma. Plus, Neji could die if he went in a conflict with the most wanted bandit in the county. My cousin, who had a girlfriend, would lose his entire future.

Me, my future didn't mean anything; I had nothing to lose if I died. If I stayed alive, I would just work my bones to the core every day and night at the saloon. When my father died, I would finally inherit the one place I hated most. I planned on selling the dump for a reasonable price. After that, I had no other plans, no aspirations. Well, I did know I wanted to marry Naruto…

"When I was notified that you had passed out, I dropped out of the competition to bring you home," Neji said, interrupting my thoughts.

"W-what?" I cried. "Neji, you shouldn't have!"

Now I felt truly guilty. I had taken away Neji's chance at being the runner up since Naruto always won first. My father would not be pleased either. I hoped our punishment for losing second place wouldn't be too harsh. Hiashi's favorite idea of discipline happened to be forcing us to work overtime at the saloon.

"I was going to win third place anyway," Neji stated. "It seems that Sasuke Uchiha beat Naruto Uzumaki. In fact, your father was so impressed by the newcomer that he's opening the saloon tonight for a celebration."

Even though my father wasn't angry with us, we still had to work at the saloon. Cactus stings!

"I guess I'll go change," I nodded.

"Are you okay now?" my cousin asked, concern written all over his face.

"I'm fine, Neji. I'll see you at the saloon," I managed to smile.

After my cousin left my room, I let out a huge sigh. It was just too ironic that my father was throwing a party for a man that would rob him later that night. Plus, his own daughter would be helping the bandit. I felt guilty for actually agreeing to assist a thief, but what else I could do? Sheriff Shikamaru and the other officers wouldn't believe me if I accused the rodeo champion of being the Lone Lasso. If I told my own father, he would probably beat me and force me to work extra hours at the saloon.

The thought of the saloon caused me to heave out another sigh. I hated the wretched dump with all of my heart. I frowned and looked through my closet. My uniform, an ugly red dress, screamed out at me. I reluctantly put it on and exchanged my black cowboy boots for some comfortable moccasins. Neji and a couple of other cowboys had raided a Native American camp last year. He came back with two pairs of moccasins, one for TenTen and one for me.

"Ow," I winced as I hobbled out of my room.

Apparently, I was still limping from falling up the stairs earlier that day. Cactus stings!

On my way to the bathroom, I took off Neji's black cowboy hat. After all, I didn't want to get it ruined from all of the beer and barf stains at the saloon. I brushed my hair with 100 strokes, something my mother had taught me to do before her body was found at the bottom of the river. My reflection frowned at me, so I frowned back. After washing my face, I dragged my feet down the stairs and out of the house.

I walked as slow as I could to the saloon, trying to make the trip as long as possible. On the way, some of the pedestrians bumped into me, not even bothering to apologize.

"Excuse me, ma'am," a guy tapped my shoulder.

I turned to look at him and immediately smelled alcohol. The saloon hadn't opened yet, and he was already drunk. He gave me a toothy grin and ruffled my hair.

"Your hair is purdy; can I touch it?" he slurred as he continued to pat me.

"P-please s-stop," I stuttered and tried to limp away.

He followed me and kept touching my hair. I started running, but that didn't help either. He grabbed the end of my locks and yanked hard. The force caused me to fall backward. I landed with a thud on the dry soil. My scalp hurt from the abuse, and the guy started combing my hair with his fingers.

"Purdy," he began to sing.

I hated it when guys called me—or my hair—pretty. It always meant that they wanted to touch me, and it always made me uncomfortable. I got up and tried to kick him where it hurt, but he just grabbed my waist and started pulling my hair.

"S-s-stop!" I shouted.

Suddenly, he tore himself away from me. I saw the guy's limp form on the road, dumbfounded as to why he actually listened to me. However, it turned out that someone else had been listening to me as well.

"Do you have the key?" the Lone Lasso glared at me as he kicked the guy who had assaulted me.

His piercing, ebony eyes instantly paralyzed me, as if I'd been bitten by a rattlesnake. This man, who I had unfortunately met the previous night, was more menacing to me than my father. Knowing how the whole town seemed to worship Sasuke scared me even more. To them, he was practically the new town hero since he beat Naruto Uzumaki in the rodeo. To me, he was the most dangerous bandit in the county.

Since my voice failed me, I merely nodded at him.

"I'll leave the saloon at 10 o' clock so nobody suspects me. Then I'll reenter 15 minutes after closing time, and I expect you to be there with the key," he ordered. "Alone."

I nodded a second time.

"If you tell anybody about this or about my identity, I will kill you and your cousin," he stated.

I merely nodded my head again. Even though I didn't defy him in any way, the Lone Lasso became even angrier at me. I didn't know what to do. Why was he so cruel? How did he become this way? I knew that most guys acted like jerks when they were under the influence of alcohol, but the Lone Lasso looked completely sober.

Without another word, he disappeared on Chidori, his midnight horse.

* * *

"Hinata, I have to go to the outhouse for a while. Can you take over the counter?" Neji asked.

"Of course," I tried to smile, but it probably looked more like a grimace.

Though I felt glad to get away from the rickety piano, I dreaded the bartender counter even more. Sometimes I wished I could take refuge in the outhouse like Neji, but the pungent fumes caused my eyes to water. I'd also end up getting home smelling worse than the usual barf stench.

When I arrived at the counter, men started bombarding orders for me. I didn't know who to serve first, so I chose the guy closest to me.

"I'd like the usual," he winked.

The usual? I didn't even know him! However, I just nodded, smiled, and handed him a random bottle. He gave me a bill, winked again, and left. This process repeated with numerous different men until Neji finally came back from his trip to the outhouse.

"I forgot to tell you that I need the cash register key; I need to fill out some financial reports and take inventory," he stated.

Cactus stings! I really needed the key, and Neji would know if somebody robbed the saloon since he would be counting the money tonight.

"Um… can I have it back after you're finished?" I asked as I handed him the object of interest.

He gave me a look, as if to ask what I was planning, but he merely grunted, "Fine."

I thanked him and reluctantly walked back to the piano, nearly getting hit by a dart along the way. My father Hiashi insisted on providing entertainment other than piano playing. Unfortunately, darts was one of the games he thought drunk men could handle. Other games included poker, billiards, and—if they were drunk enough—wrestling.

On more than one occasion when business boomed, Hiashi had even hired some dancing girls. Their dresses were prettier than mine, but they also revealed a sinful amount of skin. I felt sorry for them; they were harassed even more than me. Sadly, I also noticed that these girls were also part-time prostitutes. My father hired the dancing girls from the nearby brothel.

Due to Sasuke Uchiha's success at the rodeo, tonight had also been one of the nights my father hired dancing girls. They had sparkling boas and shiny smiles. I began accompanying them with a cheerful tune, but my heart wasn't in it. While I was sweating through a particularly difficult passage, I heard the saloon doors burst open.

"I can't believe I lost the rodeo to you!" Naruto Uzumaki growled.

Wow, I didn't expect Naruto to be such a sore loser. However, I didn't care; he always won my heart. I watched as my crush stomped over to Sasuke and started poking him in the chest in anger. Sasuke looked annoyed and turned away. He began drinking something, but I doubted it was booze.

Sasuke's indifference caused Naruto's temper to flare. He chucked his cowboy hat to the ground, revealing his awesome, blonde hair.

"I challenge you to a duel!" Naruto declared.

In an instant, the whole saloon became dead silent. I abruptly ended the piece, and the dancing girls gasped. Naruto was the town's best cowboy. He had worked hard and captured almost every bandit on his list. Sasuke, the mysterious newcomer, managed to snatch Naruto's title as rodeo champion. Both of them were powerful and probably equal in skill. In a duel, either of them could live or die.

"I thought you'd never ask," Sasuke replied as he reached for the pistol sitting in his belt holster. "Let's make it three rounds and fifteen paces away."

The two walked outside, followed by everybody in the saloon. I was about to join them, but Neji stopped me.

"Hinata, stay in here," my cousin ordered as he handed me the cash register key. "A lady shouldn't see this."

"Okay," I said softly.

Even though I didn't see the action, I still felt my heart pound a thousand times per second. All I could do was pray for Naruto to live. He only had to avoid three bullets coming from thirty total paces away…

…from the Lone Lasso.

"N-naruto," I whimpered, desperately wanting to see him for the last time.

I clutched myself, listening to a total of six bangs, three from Sasuke and three from Naruto.

On the last one, I heard Naruto cry, "Oh, shit!"

For once, I disobeyed Neji and ran outside. The Lone Lasso's face held an emotionless expression, but he stared at Naruto, who clutched his shoulder. Blood seeped through Naruto's bright orange shirt. I screamed his name and ran over to him.

"A-a-are y-you o-okay?" I asked, nearly hysterical.

"Just a scratch," he winced. "Who are you?"

My heard drooped when I realized he didn't know my name. However, he asked for it! That had to count for something.

"H-hinata," I mumbled, blushing profusely under his gaze.

"Well, Hinata, don't worry about me!" he grimaced. "I'll be fine. I'll just ask my fiancé to patch me up."

Wait… fiancé? Since when did he have a fiancé? It was just like my dream about him earlier; I would never get to be with Naruto Uzumaki. I mumbled a goodbye to him and walked back into the saloon with everyone else. From the corner of my eye, I saw the Lone Lasso leave.

* * *

Neji had just dragged the last wasted body outside of the saloon as I started to pick up the billions of feathers from the dancer girls' boas. I sympathized with them, but they didn't have to leave all of this crap on my floor!

"You can go home without me; I'll lock up after you," I told my cousin.

Neji frowned, "I'm not leaving you alone. You seem to be getting in trouble lately."

"I-it's nothing," I insisted. "I'll be fine. Anyway… what are the chances that I won't come home again?"

He didn't move from his spot, his frown growing deeper. I panicked; Sasuke wanted me to be in the saloon alone. If I didn't get Neji out of here, we'd both be burnt flapjacks.

"I promise I won't take long," I said desperately. "Could you please go home and tell Hanabi a bedtime story? She won't be able to fall asleep without one."

"Hinata," Neji began, but stopped.

He rubbed his temples and sighed. I continued to pick up the feathers, waiting for an answer.

"Come home immediately when you're finished," he instructed.

"I will," I smiled.

I received no reply since Neji had already left. I sighed; now all I had to do was pick up feathers and wait. After I was halfway done, I wanted to hit myself in the head. I could have used a broom! With a small groan, I walked behind the counter, grabbed a broom and a pan, and started sweeping.

I was taken by surprise again when I felt a lariat surrounding my arms. I lost my balance and fell on the floor, finding myself with a mouthful of feathers. The Lone Lasso jerked me up, forcing me to stand. His piercing, ebony eyes once again filled my vision as I tried my hardest to look away. However, I couldn't peel my eyes off of him; he was too scary to not look at.

"Naruto, eh? I almost didn't believe it when I saw you care for him. He's a bastard," Sasuke smirked.

I spit out the feathers and blushed, "N-no… he's n-not!"

"He cheats," he stated then changed the subject, "Do you have it?"

Naruto had a fiancé and he cheated at the rodeo? I didn't know which one upset me more. To me, Naruto had been the reason I kept living. My goal in life was not to run the saloon, but to be with the foxy town hero.

"Y-yes," I said softly, "I-I hid it… in m-my right m-moccasin."

It took us both a second to realize I couldn't take my shoe off since my arms had been pinned down. Neither of us said anything as Sasuke bent down and took my foot. I blushed from the contact, hoping he wouldn't be tempted to look up my dress. Fortunately, his interest had been the key, which he fished out immediately. I watched as the most wanted bandit in the county unlocked the saloon's cash register.

Empty.

No, that couldn't be right. How could the cash register be empty? I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to find a logical explanation. That's when I remembered Neji had been taking care of some financial issues; he must have withdrawn all of the money and stored it at the bank.

When I opened my eyes, I saw the piercing, ebony eyes glaring at me.

"I… um… I…," I stammered. "I c-can explain…"

"You're coming with me," he sneered as he tied a bandanna around my mouth.

He picked me up and flung me over his shoulder. As we exited the saloon, I couldn't help but think of the moccasin I had left behind. He flung me onto the back of Chidori, his horse. After he climbed on, the horse instantly started galloping.

"Mprwkxlt!" I tried to scream, muffled by the bandanna.

I had always thought that Naruto Uzumaki would be the one to save me from the clutches of the saloon…

I never expected my hero to be Sasuke Uchiha, the Lone Lasso.

* * *

**Fun Cowboy Fact: Wranglers, a subtype of cowboys, tend the horses that work with cattle.**

***Cactus Stings!***

* * *


	3. Cowboy Hat

**A huge THANK YOU to Kurumi-chan for the wonderful review! You deserve a stack of flapjacks!**

**I gave up writing FanFiction a couple of months ago, but thanks to her review, I think I might continue.**

**With that said, my writing has gotten rustier than a spatula on a windmill. Please forgive me.**

**Wow, let's end these cheesey Western-style similes and get on with the story. ^_^'**

* * *

"Wake up," a deep voice commanded.

"Five more minutes, Neji," I murmured. "We can pick up the new stools for the saloon later."

Instantly, I felt a sharp slap on my cheek. I immediately jolted up with my eyes wide open. They met piercing, ebony eyes, and I realized that I wasn't back at home anymore. I vaguely remembered being kidnapped the night before by the Lone Lasso, but that was it. I didn't remember falling asleep and being brought to a strange room.

Oh, and my memory definitely failed in telling me that I was no longer bound or gagged. So the shriek that I emitted could have woken up the whole county. I didn't even know why I was screaming. All I knew was that I had a premonition that something bad was going to happen.

Another slap, sharper this time, stung my cheek. I immediately clamped my mouth shut.

"If you scream again, I will go back to Konoha Town and kill Naruto," he narrowed his eyes.

Wait… why didn't he threaten to kill _me_? I mean, I still loved Naruto. He couldn't be a cheater; Naruto worked harder than anybody I knew. He deserved to be rodeo champion for all of those years, I just knew it. I didn't care if he had a fiancé either. Engagements could always be broken. It wasn't like Naruto had already married his fiancée, whoever that lucky lass happened to be.

Anyway, the Lone Lasso usually threatened to kill me. Why did he only list Naruto this time?

"I need to keep you alive so I can sell you," he stated as if he read my mind.

"Sell me?" I squeaked. "T-to who?"

"Stay here," Sasuke commanded as he left the room, ignoring my question.

I surveyed the room that the Lone Lasso had ordered me to stay in. The bed indicated that this used to be a bedroom, but the rest of the space looked ancient and empty. Dust and cobwebs filled the room, and I wondered how long it was since somebody had stepped foot in here.

"What is this place?" I murmured.

A hand clamped down on my wrist and a chill ran up my spine. I suppressed the urge to scream bloody murder again.

"The Uchiha ranch," the Lone Lasso stated from behind me.

He turned me around so I faced him. Once again, I locked onto his piercing, ebony eyes. Even though he wore a bandana over his mouth, I knew he was scowling at me. This situation was worse than a stale piece of pecan pie.

"I'm pretty sure you were a good catch," he murmured, "but we'll have to test if you'll be of any use."

Son of a horseshoe! Sasuke was going to test my capabilities as a slave. My heart pumped rapidly as I looked at the door. Freedom, all I ever wanted was freedom. Now even the little taste I was granted would be washed out with soap bitterer than a cow in a fishbowl. I worked hard my entire life. What did I ever do to deserve this fate?

I frantically eyed the door behind Sasuke. He had left it ajar, and I could see a hallway extend full of numerous doors. I wondered which one was the exit. I needed to escape as quickly as possible, but unfortunately Sasuke still held my wrist in a death grip. He squeezed it even more until I was sure the circulation had been cut off from my hand.

"Who," I whispered, because I didn't dare raise my voice at my captor, "are you planning to s-sell me to?"

"The Akatsuki tribe," he stated. "They need a new slave since the last one was sacrificed."

"S-s-sacrificed?" I squeaked.

From the look of terror on my face, the Lone Lasso let go of his grip on my wrist until my arm hung limp to my side. Even though the bandana on his mouth covered some of his face, I could tell that he smirked. Did he actually enjoy my pain?

"Follow me," he ordered.

I nodded and followed Sasuke out of the room into the hallway. After we passed seven doors, we turned left and passed five more doors. The Uchiha ranch was huge! However, the building looked plain and dilapidated. It was as if everybody had suddenly abandoned and forgot about the house.

Bump.

I found my face squashed against the back of Sasuke's white shirt. Since I had been lost in thought, I hadn't noticed that he stopped walking. Of course, my carelessness led to a collision worse than two bulls on a rampage. I instantly stepped back, squeezed my eyes shut, and braced for the wrath of the Lone Lasso. Instead, he ignored me and pushed open the door to a kitchen. He shoved me in the room, which caused me to fall flat on my face.

"Ow," I mumbled as I staggered to stand up again.

Sasuke walked into the kitchen and stared at my pathetic state.

"Two of the Akatsuki tribe members are coming over for dinner tonight," he stated. "Make dinner for them so they'll offer a high price for you. If you deliberately do poorly, I'll kill Naruto _and_ your cousin."

I could never let anything happen to Naruto nor Neji. Why was Sasuke intent on making me miserable, aside from the fact he's the most wanted bandit in the county?

"I… I understand," I nodded my head. "Should I… make dinner for you too?"

He turned around to exit the kitchen and said coldly, "No."

"O-okay," I replied.

I watched as he closed the door. To me, it sounded like the slam of a heavy metal door at the county jail. Any hope of freedom demolished, I turned toward the kitchen. A small stove connected to an oven, an ice box, a sink, and a cupboard were the only additions to the otherwise empty room. Dust was there too, but that was to be expected of this ranch by now.

I searched through the cupboard, pulled out a pot and a couple ingredients. Baked beans, that's what I would make. As I began pouring water into the pot, a realization popped into my mind: I could escape.

"I'm sorry, Sasuke," I said aloud as I opened the window, "but a coyote can't be caged… and neither can I."

As soon as I stuck one head out the window, the kitchen door burst open. Of course Sasuke had to appear at the worst possible moment! His bandana was off, so I could see the frown on his face. He ran towards me as I tried—and miserably failed—to jump out of the window. He grabbed my wrist and tugged me away from the outter world, whatever that was.

"Never. Do. That. Again," he hissed in my ear.

Afraid of what he was going to do next, I merely nodded and squeezed my eyes shut. He tied a rope to my right wrist, and he tied the other end to the kitchen door's doorknob. Sasuke stomped out of the room, slamming the door behind him. Since I was now attached, it caused me to fall to the ground.

"I won't," I promised him.

* * *

"These baked beans are delicious, yeah!" I heard a man declare as I sat down on the kitchen floor.

I tried to untie my right wrist, but the Lone Lasso's knots were more complex than a frozen French braid. Sasuke had collected the meal I cooked and served it to the guests, who were probably eating in a dining room located close to the kitchen. I could hear one of the Akatsuki tribe members constantly praising how artistic the beans were. The other never seemed to talk, or at least he spoke so quietly I couldn't hear him.

"Can I have some seconds, yeah?" I heard the more talkative man ask.

I tugged at the rope for the millionth time and sighed. Did anybody have worse luck than I did?

"Sasori, I think it's time we should meet the chef, yeah!" he yelled.

A minute later, the door quickly opened and I scrambled from off of the floor. I studied my bare feet. Since Sasuke had left one of my cowboy boots at the saloon, I decided I might as well take the other one off.

"She's so pretty, yeah!" the louder man exclaimed. "Don't you think so, Sasori?"

I winced when I heard this. When guys called me pretty, that meant they wanted to touch me. Sure enough, he put his index finger under my chin, forcing me to look up at him. He had blonde hair bunched up in a ponytail. He wore a black robe, and his hair was adorned with feathers. Sasori, the other Akatsuki tribe member, had red hair and a similar outfit.

"Those eyes are a work of art, yeah!" the man smiled. "What's your name?"

Before I could open my mouth to answer, the Lone Lasso beat me, "Hinata Hyuuga. How much will you pay for her?"

"One grand," Sasori finally spoke up.

The Akatsuki tribe may have been natives, but they were loaded! One grand was way more than I'd make in a year.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes, "Fifteen grand."

My eyes widened. No wonder he went through that much trouble to keep me here. If I had fifteen grand, I would never have to work a day in my life again. I could get myself a decent pair of cowboy boots too.

"Six grand," Sasori said.

"Thirteen grand," Sasuke argued.

"We're going to be late for the next Akatsuki meeting, Deidara," Sasori said as he turned to the blonde man. "We'll be back to bargain some more."

Deidara and Sasori left the kitchen while the Lone Lasso remained. He studied me for a minute. I quivered in fear under his gaze. He took a step closer to me, and I held my breath. Sasuke snatched my wrist and expertly untied the knot in less than thirty seconds.

"Why… why are you selling me for so m-much?" I asked softly, a bitter tone in my voice, "I thought y-you wanted to g-get rid of me, not force them i-into giving me up."

"You're worth much more than those bastards are willing to pay for," Sasuke said in disgust.

A smile tugged at my lips. To be told that I was worth something felt nice, even if was about the price I was to be sold to a tribe that sacrificed its slaves. Deidara had eyed me creepily, but Sasori seemed okay. I wondered what the rest of the Akatsuki were like.

"I heard news from the Akatsuki that Konoha Town's looking for us," the Lone Lasso told me, snapping me out of my thoughts.

My tiny smile disappeared. My heart picked up pace as I realized what he just said. Maybe Neji had finally found my abandoned cowboy boot and realized I had been kidnapped last night. Maybe he told Naruto too.

"W-who?" I asked, hope swelling in my heart.

"They sent a whole search party," he smirked. "Choji Akimichi, Kiba Inuzuka, Shikamaru Nara, Neji Hyuuga, and Naruto Uzumaki."

My heart burst open as I imagined Naruto sweeping me off of my feet and saving me. He could be the knight in shining armor who rescues me from the fire-breathing dragon, or at least a perpetually-angry bandit. However, Naruto would just take me back to Konoha Town. In fact, they all would, including Neji. Then I had to devote the rest of my life to the wretched saloon. My dresses would be forever stained with beer and barf. Arthritis would develop in my overworked fingers on the rickety piano. These images didn't please me at all. I actually found myself not wanting to go back, or at least not yet.

"Are they c-close?" I asked. "Will they f-find us?"

"No, the Uchiha ranch is located in an isolated area in the Fire County. It's also known that this place has been deserted for ten years," Sasuke stated.

I found myself asking him why the Uchiha ranch had been abandoned, despite all of my internal warning signs going off. The Lone Lasso looked me in the eyes. His ebony and piercing gaze paralyzed me once again.

"It's drenched in blood," he said coldly.

I immediately shivered. After that, any signs of talkativeness vanished. He turned around, signaling me to follow him. We walked through the labyrinth of hallways until we entered a bedroom. He left me standing there as he walked away again.

Escaping was not an option. I understood that now. All I could do was climb into the bed and dream of attending Neji and TenTen's wedding. At least my bridesmaid dress was cute.

* * *

When I woke up, sunshine burst through the window of my new bedroom. That day was going to be better; I just knew it. I found my way to the dusty kitchen. The pot I used to cook with yesterday sat in the sink. The stench of old baked beans came off of it in waves.

"Ew," I scrunched up my nose.

As my hand reached to clean the pot, a blur lashed out at me. It sunk its sharp fangs into the inside of my left arm. Son of a horseshoe!

A frantically shook my arm and screamed, "Rattlesnake!"

The snake finally unlatched itself and slithered away. I clutched my left arm and tears formed in my eyes. As the venom slowly spread through my veins, searing pain accompanied it. My arm started to burn, as if on fire. The imaginary flames spread toward my elbow until my entire left arm became completely paralyzed. I knelt down on the floor and continued to cradle my arm.

The poison traveled to the rest of my body, leaving my veins on fire. The bite wound began gushing out blood, and the giant room started spinning around me. I squeezed my eyes shut and laid down, as if that could end the pain.

I pictured Naruto's smiling face. I hoped his fiancé would take care of him. At least she'd make him happier than I ever was. I then imagined Neji and TenTen. It was a shame I wound never make it to their wedding, but they were planning to elope anyway. Hanabi came into my thoughts next. We weren't the closest of sisters, but I still loved her. I then pictured my father Hiashi's unmoved expression; I imagined that he wouldn't even care that I had been kidnapped, let alone on the brink of death.

Finally, I thought of the Lone Lasso. He didn't turn out to be a real hero like Konoha Town thought he was. Instead, he was the most wanted bandit in the county. At least he released me from the saloon, even if he planned to sell me to the Akatsuki tribe. So I guess I should thank-

"Damnit," I heard Sasuke curse. "I said I needed to keep you alive!"

I opened my eyes and saw the glint of a knife. He brought it to the inside of my left arm and carved an X. The pain shot through my entire body as I screamed. Sasuke brought the wound to his lips and started sucking my blood—and the venom. He then spit it out and repeated the painful process. When he finished sucking out my poisoned blood, he tore a piece of his shirt and tied it around the wound. The Lone Lasso then gently laid my arm back down.

"Stay here," he told me.

Just as I promised him earlier, I obeyed him. I counted the amount of time he was away. Fifty-two seconds later, Sasuke arrived with a red bottle in his hands. He put it to my lips.

"Drink," he commanded. "It's antivenin."

I choked down the bitter liquid. After I finished the last drop, I eyed the Lone Lasso's bloodied used-to-be-white shirt and realized how much he had gone through to save me. He actually saved _me_, the most unwanted girl in the county. If he let me die, it wouldn't have mattered that much to him. It looked like the Akatsuki tribe wasn't willing to pay too much for me, or at least by Sasuke's standards.

What I found troubling was that Sasuke had already saved me multiple times. He kicked a guy who pulled my hair on the street; nobody else besides Neji had ever stuck up for me. He rescued me from working in the saloon for the rest of my life. Not to mention, he just saved me from a poisonous rattlesnake bite.

"Thank you," I smiled.

"It's about time," he smirked.

Rattle… Rattle… Son of a horseshoe!

"Sasuke, behind you!" I shrieked.

That rattlesnake's timing was definitely worse than mine.

* * *

**Yeah, I researched as much as I could on rattlesnake bites.**

**Wikipedia isn't the most reliable source, so sorry if it doesn't seem realistic.**

**Please leave some suggestions on how to improve my writing! ^_^**

**Fun Cowboy Fact: Cowboy hats were invented in 1865 by John Stetson. Yeehaw!**


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